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USS King County (LST-857)
Encyclopedia
USS King County (LST-857) was an built for the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Named after counties in Texas and Washington
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS LST-857 was laid down on 19 September 1944 at Seneca, Illinois
Seneca, Illinois
Seneca is a village in LaSalle and Grundy counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 2,371 at the 2010 census.The LaSalle County portion of Seneca is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area, while the small portion that lies in Grundy County is part of the...
by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company
Chicago Bridge & Iron Company
Chicago Bridge & Iron Company , , known commonly as CB&I, is a large multinational conglomerate engineering, procurement and construction company. CB&I specializes in projects for oil and gas companies...
; launched on 6 December 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Beatrice S. Major; and commissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, on 29 December 1944 with Lieutenant Roy C. Parlier in command.
World War II, 1945
After shakedown off the Florida coast, LST-857 departed New Orleans for the Pacific on 1 February 1945. Steaming via the Panama CanalPanama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, she touched the Hawaiian
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
and Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
and reached Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
on 30 March. There she loaded bombs and ammunition and departed on 21 April for Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
. Steaming via Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, she reached Iwo Jima on 1 May, unloaded her cargo, then sailed on 18 May. Carrying 334 enemy prisoners, she returned to Guam the 21st.
Between 23 and 30 May, LST-857 carried a cargo of fog oil to Okinawa. She supplied ships at Hagushi
Hagushi
Hagushi bay was the primary unloading point for American supplies during the invasion of Okinawa during World War II. The bay, at the mouth of the Bishi River , was the dividing line between the First and Sixth US Marine divisions, which landed on the Hagushi beaches to the north, and the Seventh...
until 24 June. Returning to Guam on 4 July, she loaded troops and Army construction equipment, then sailed for Okinawa on the 16th. She operated there from 28 July to 5 August; and, after returning to Saipan on 11 August, she loaded cargo and departed for the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
on 3 September.
Post-war activities, 1945–1948
LST-857 arrived San Pedro Bay, Leyte, on 10 September and was assigned to support occupation operations in Japan. After embarking ordnanceMilitary logistics
Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:...
and construction troops and loading equipment at Iloilo
Iloilo
Iloilo is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of Panay Island and is bordered by Antique Province to the west and Capiz Province and the Jintotolo Channel to the north. Just off Iloilo's southeast coast is Guimaras Province,...
, Panay
Panay
Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...
, and Batangas
Batangas
Batangas is a first class province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the...
, Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, she sailed in convoy for Japan on 20 September. She reached Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
on the 29th and, until 25 October, operated along the coast of Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
shuttling occupation troops and cargo. She returned to the Philippines early in November; and, after embarking additional troops, she returned to Japan on 18 November and resumed occupation operations. Departing Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
on 15 December, she steamed via Saipan and Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
to the United States and arrived at San Francisco on 25 January 1946.
During the next six months LST-857 operated along the California coast between San Francisco and San Diego. She departed San Diego on 31 July, reached Pearl Harbor on 11 August, and began supply runs under Service Force, Pacific Fleet. For more than three years she operated out of Pearl Harbor, carrying passengers and supplies to bases in the Hawaiian Islands and to Johnson and Canton Islands. Between 3 April and 6 August 1948 she deployed to the Marshall Islands where she conducted shuttle service among the atolls.
Korean War, 1950–1953
Departing Pearl Harbor on 3 January 1950, LST-857 returned to the West Coast on 14 January. After overhaul at Mare IslandMare Island
Mare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...
, she operated out of Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
, and San Diego until 1 July when she departed San Francisco for Hawaii. She arrived Pearl Harbor on 11 July; and, after serving briefly as inter-island transport, she departed on 18 August to support the effort to repel Communist aggression in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. She arrived Yokosuka, Japan, on 4 September, then shifted to Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Japan, the next day. After embarking men and equipment of the 1st Marine Engineer Battalion
1st Combat Engineer Battalion
1st Combat Engineer Battalion is a combat engineer battalion of the United States Marine Corps. The unit, nicknamed "The Super Breed", is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and falls under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary...
, she sortied on 10 September as part of an amphibious attack convoy bound for Inchon, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
Assigned to Task Element 90.32, LST-857 arrived off Inchon on 15 September while a heavy air-sea bombardment pounded enemy shore positions. Late that afternoon, she closed "Red Beach" under heavy mortar and machine gun fire to take part in landings which were designed to spearhead an Allied offensive northward
Battle of Inchon
The Battle of Inchon was an amphibious invasion and battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations . The operation involved some 75,000 troops and 261 naval vessels, and led to the recapture of the South Korean capital Seoul two...
. Despite concentrated enemy fire, she debarked assault troops and unloaded vital supplies and equipment. In addition she provided counter-battery fire
Counter-battery fire
Counter-battery fire is a type of mission assigned to military artillery forces, which are given the task of locating and firing upon enemy artillery.-Background:...
and embarked battle casualties for emergency treatment. For daring bravery and heroic performance of duty on "Red Beach", the aggressive and intrepid tank landing ships, including LST-857, received the Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
. LST-857 completed unloading and departed the beach early on 16 September. She returned to Sasebo, Japan, on 19 September.
She again returned to Inchon on 2 October and delivered a cargo of ammunition to the battleship . On 14 October she departed Sasebo for Hawaii and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 3 November. Following shipyard repairs, she departed on 1 December on a cargo run to the Marshall Islands. During the next ten months she conducted passenger and cargo service out of Pearl Harbor to the Marshall, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, and Palmyra Islands
Palmyra Atoll
Palmyra Atoll is an essentially unoccupied equatorial Northern Pacific atoll administered as an unorganized incorporated territory by the United States federal government...
, as well as to ports in the Hawaiian Islands.
Departing Pearl Harbor on 28 September 1951, LST-857 sailed for the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
and arrived at Yokohama on 18 October. On the 22nd she sailed for Sasebo where she arrived on 26 October to prepare for shuttle duty along the vital water supply line between Japan and Korea. Operating primarily out of Sasebo, she transported men and supplies to ports along the western coast of Korea. In addition she supplied fleet activities along the coast of Japan. She sailed for the United States on 23 September 1954, touched at Pearl Harbor on 9 October, and arrived at San Diego on 22 October.
LST-857 returned to Pearl Harbor from San Diego on 27 November; and, after overhaul, she began passenger and cargo runs between Pearl Harbor and Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
on 2 February 1955. Named USS King County on 1 July 1955, she continued this duty until August 1956. Between 17 August and 12 September she made a supply run to the Marshalls; then she sailed for the West Coast on 1 October, arriving at Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, on the 11th.
Guided missile test ship, 1957–1960
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
on 12 October 1957 and began conversion to an experimental guided missile test ship. Reclassified AG-157 on 17 May 1958, she completed conversion on 15 November, then departed for testing and evaluation operations out of San Diego and Port Hueneme
Port Hueneme, California
Port Hueneme is a small beach city in Ventura County, California surrounded by the city of Oxnard and the Pacific Ocean. The name derives from the Spanish spelling of the Chumash wene me, meaning "Resting Place". The area was discovered by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in the mid 16th century...
.
While undergoing conversion a mock-up submarine hull was installed on her deck for use in testing a prototype missile handling system. In addition she received launching, recording, and evaluation equipment for testing the launch and flight capabilities of Regulus II guided missiles
SSM-N-8 Regulus
The SSM-N-8A Regulus was a ship and submarine launched, nuclear armed cruise missile deployed by the United States Navy from 1955 to 1964.-Design and development:...
. Capable of carrying four missiles in her hangar, she was designed as a mobile testing center for these surface-to-surface missile
Surface-to-surface missile
A surface-to-surface missile is a guided projectile launched from a hand-held, vehicle mounted, trailer mounted or fixed installation or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket motor or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving...
s.
Assigned to Submarine Squadron 5, King County conducted her first missile engine firing on 8 December while operating in the Pacific Missile Range
Pacific Missile Range
Pacific Missile Range may refer to:* The Western Range, a currently active missile range supporting launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base and elsewhere.* Western Launch and Test Range, a missile range active in the 1960s for tracking ballistic missiles....
. She fired her first Regulus II missile two days later. During the next six months she performed simulated missile launchings and served on telemetry and recovery stations in the Pacific Missile Range. Moreover, she supported the development of America's space program and participated in tracking and recovering missile nose cone
Nose cone
The term nose cone is used to refer to the forwardmost section of a rocket, guided missile or aircraft. The cone is shaped to offer minimum aerodynamic resistance...
s.
Transferred to the 11th Naval District on 1 July 1959, she continued operating as a missile tracking and recovery ship
Missile Range Instrumentation Ship
Missile Range Instrumentation Ships, Range Ships, or Tracking Ships, are ships equipped with antennas and electronics to support the launching and tracking of missiles and rockets...
. During the next year she cruised the missile range off Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
supporting missile firing and recovery operations. Operating out of Port Hueneme, she participated in tracking Temco ASM-N-8 Corvus missile firings in May and July 1960. She also supported the telemetering and recovery of the data capsule from Discovery XII.